Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

The Swedish government is planning to temporarily cut the price of monthly public transport passes by around 50 percent starting from July 1, AzerNEWS reports.

Authorities are expected to allocate approximately 7 billion Swedish kronor (around $730–740 million) for the program, which is set to remain in effect until the end of the year.

The initiative is part of a broader package of measures aimed at easing the pressure on households caused by rising prices, inflation, and the ongoing energy crisis. Stockholm has already introduced tax cuts on gasoline and diesel, financial support for domestic airlines, and temporary reductions in VAT on food products.

According to Swedish media, regional authorities will receive compensation for revenue losses caused by the cheaper transport passes. However, the plan does not include additional funding to expand transport services or offset growing fuel and operating costs, which has raised concerns among local administrations.

The proposal has also triggered criticism from the opposition. Representatives of the Social Democratic Party accused the government of attempting to boost public support ahead of upcoming elections after previously rejecting similar initiatives.

“Public trust in the government is close to zero. They voted against our proposals to improve and reduce the cost of public transport, and now, amid declining support, they suddenly want to lower prices before the elections,” said Social Democratic Party secretary Tobias Baudin.

Political analyst Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson believes the measure may not deliver the expected political benefits. According to him, Swedish voters tend to make decisions based more on ideology than on short-term financial incentives. He also noted that the temporary nature of the discount makes the initiative appear more like pre-election populism than a long-term transport reform.

Interestingly, Sweden is becoming one of several European countries experimenting with cheaper public transport to reduce car dependency and energy consumption. Similar initiatives in Germany and other EU states previously led to record growth in passenger traffic and renewed debate over making public transport permanently more affordable across Europe.